Barcelona forward Lionel Messi paid 12m euros (£10.64m) in back taxes at the end of 2016 in order to avoid possible further punishment over his financial affairs – and the money was paid back to him by his Spanish club. (Der Spiegel)

Former Colombia and Newcastle striker Faustino Asprillia believes he would be worth 200m euros (£177m) in the current transfer market. The 48-year-old joined the Magpies for £6.7m from Parma in 1996. (Tuttomercatoweb – in Italian)

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says the club are not close to making any signings but insists they are “awake” in the January transfer window. (Sky Sports)

Bournemouth’s 21-year-old English defender Jack Simpson has signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League club. (Bournemouth Echo)

French midfielder Francis Coquelin, 26 has claimed he had to leave Arsenal for the sake of his career and says he already “feels at home” after his £11m transfer to Spanish club Valencia. (Mirror)

Best of Friday’s gossip

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will use some of the proceeds from the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona to fund a move for Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland, 24. (Star)